


a sandcastle kingdom of one

by neonmoonlight



Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Burnout - Freeform, Depression, Hallucinations, Hospitialization, the tags make it seem worse than it might be but its not too bad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-11
Updated: 2018-08-11
Packaged: 2019-06-25 19:33:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15647502
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neonmoonlight/pseuds/neonmoonlight
Summary: Chase could feel himself reaching his breaking point, but couldn’t do anything about it. The viewers couldn’t tell, since he was able to keep up the mask of acting as Jack pretty convincingly while the camera was on. But when the camera was off and he sent the footage off to Robin, he felt completely drained and gray. He wasn’t sure what to do.or the one where chase hurts until he doesn’t.





	a sandcastle kingdom of one

**Author's Note:**

> Hiya everyone!  
> This fic was inspired by Caroline aka [ Reverse ](https://reverseblackholeofwords.tumblr.com/) and the lovely people in the discord server who fuel me hurting our fave boys. I was also just in a mood about Chase and wanted to write something kinda painful so here we are!
> 
> This is unbeta'd as it is currently 6 am where I am and my best friend/beta is probs asleep and also i just want to post this lmao ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> anyways, here's the fic!

Chase could feel himself reaching his breaking point, but couldn’t do anything about it. The viewers couldn’t tell, since he was able to keep up the mask of acting as Jack pretty convincingly while the camera was on. But when the camera was off and he sent the footage off to Robin, he felt completely drained and gray. He wasn’t sure what to do. 

 

When Jack finally woke up from his coma, he was happy and relieved that Jack was finally back and able to take over the channel again. Chase of course filled him in on everything that happened, and then sent him on his way. Which left Chase on his own again. So he threw himself back into doing crazy trick shots and pranks, trying to find something to keep his mind busy. He rearranged his room multiple times a week, taught himself parkour and other tricks, pestered Marvin until he caved and taught Chase little sleight of hand things that look like magic tricks and got in everyone’s hair. The weekends that he had his kids were the only time he could relax, but that always went away on Sunday’s when they went back with Stacey. He couldn’t sleep anymore either. 

 

Things came to a head one night after he’d been drinking heavily and somehow wound up in the hallway leading to the attic, where Anti was doing his weird shit again, this time with the addition of red lights. Everything was hazy and moving in waves, even Anti seemed like he was multiplied as he made his way to Chase.

 

“Where are they? What do you want from me?” Chase slurred as his vision blurred and he saw Stacey in front of him instead. As the figment moved closer to him, Chase fell down onto his knees, dropping the lighter that he had in his hands and curling up tightly. He was so tired of the fighting and all the shit Stacey put him through and how she would never let him talk to his own kids ever. 

 

Hands grabbed at Chase's arms, and he screamed lashing out. The time had come and he had finally broke completely. Chase backed away from the person he still thought was Stacey, and stumbled down the stairs, back towards his room. He was sobbing uncontrollably and talking incoherently about how he was done and tired and how he just wanted to see his kids for more than two days every other week. Chase heard doors opening, but he ignored them all as he made his way towards his room. Tugging the door open, Chase wiped harshly at his eyes, muttering about how weak he was and _this is why Stacey doesn't fucking love you anymore, look how pathetic you are!_

 

Before he managed to shut his door, he felt the prick of a needle in his neck and everything slowly faded out as he passed out, slumping down onto the floor, still asking to see his kids again.

 

\--

 

When Chase finally woke back up again, he was in a hospital bed and hooked up to a bunch of machines. Anti, surprisingly, was curled up in the chair next to his bed, fast asleep. Chase wasn’t sure why he was here of all people, he always got the impression that Anti never really liked him much. He honestly kind of expected no one to be next to him when he woke up, since he knew that he was annoying all the others lately and they probably wanted nothing to do with him. Chase tugged the thin hospital blanket over him and rolled over onto his side, so he faced away from Anti. He didn’t want to think about how he completely broke when he last saw Anti. He didn’t want Anti to know his weaknesses, still scared that the glitch would use it against him somehow. Curling up, Chase somehow managed to go back to sleep. 

 

The second time he woke up, Edward was checking on his vitals and writing notes on the clipboard he had in his hand. His eyebrow was furrowed in concern as he was flipping through the other sheets and the notes that Henrik wrote when Chase got checked into the clinic. Looking up, he saw that Chase was awake and watching him. Smiling reassuringly, Edward flipped the papers back down and tucked the clipboard under his arm and made his way over to the side of Chase’s bed. 

 

“So… When Henrik brought you in, he said you had a breakdown and he had to sedate you. Chase, are you okay?” Edward sat on the side of the bed and rested his hand on Chase’s leg. “We’re worried about you.”

 

Chase sighed and looked away from the doctor, fiddling with the blanket. He didn’t want to talk about anything he’s been going through lately, but he knew that Dr. Iplier wouldn’t leave until Chase opened up. Thinking back over everything, it’s hard to remember the last time he was truly happy with anything he was doing in his life. Dropping his head back onto his pillow, he looked back over at the doctor. 

 

“Things have been shit Doc. Can I go home now?” Edward just gave him a look that basically told him that there was no way that Chase was getting out of this. Sighing loudly, Chase messed with the hospital bracelet on his wrist. Life was a fucking mess and repetitive and he didn’t know what to do anymore.

 

“You’re gonna be staying here for a couple days Chase. Host will be in so you can talk to him, but really the best thing I can recommend to you is to relax and take a break. You of all people deserve some happiness,” Edward stated as he stood up again, smiling sadly at Chase. “Don’t beat yourself up over every little thing Chase.” 

 

\--

 

A couple months after he was let out of the clinic, and weekly visits with Host to just talk about stuff, both Henrik and Edward cleared him to be able to go out of Ego Inc. and the Septic cabin. So with the combined power of Anti and Marvin, all six of them popped up on a tropical beach somewhere. When they got there, Marvin threw a few of his cards down onto the sand and a bunch of towels and blankets popped up in the place of the cards. He then waved his hand at everyone and suddenly everyone were in their bathing suits. Chase just looked around at everyone settling in, and felt a wave of gratitude and love for all of them wash over him. He would’ve loved for his kids to be there with him, but it was the middle of the week and Stacey would never let him see his kids on a week where he doesn’t get them. 

 

As if sensing Chase’s thoughts, Jamie tugged both Chase and Jackie towards the wet sand, signing that he wanted to build sandcastles with them. Smiling gratefully at him, Chase decided to listen to what Host had been trying to get through to him for the past couple months, and let go of the past long enough to enjoy himself. He knew that his brothers had probably been planning this little get away ever since his breakdown in May, and focusing on the negatives would ruin it. So he let go, and enjoyed himself for the first time in a long time. Everything else could wait for another day, and Chase now knew that he wasn’t alone anymore, and that’s all that mattered to him. He has a family that loves him no matter what, and will never be alone ever again. 

 

Life wasn’t the best, but it was getting better and that’s all that he could hope for now, and for the first time, things were looking up. 

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are greatly appreciated!!
> 
>  
> 
> [Tumblr](https://citrusmoonlight.tumblr.com)


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